Snorfle. That’s not a straw man. It isn’t even an argument. It’s the whirlwind assertion of an unhinged lunatic who likes to eat baby salad while using puppies to club baby seals to death. See! I can do it to!

The attitude the tweeter displays is why I don’t want to identify as a fundamentalist. There is no grace or humility displayed in this tweet. Fellow Christians are misrepresented (a violation of the truth) and maligned (a violation of love).

It’s hard to get a good picture of someone through one tweet entry. I thought he was just making a comparison, not saying that Calvinsts are homosexual.

In his mind, and many fundamentalist’s mind, the comparisons he drew are all correct:

– Both are against God’s design.
– Because people like this man believe that Calvinists do not evangelize, they can only “steal” members from non-Calvinist churches. This is the “predatory” aspect. Likewise, homosexual couples cannot reproduce, so they have to teach or persuade someone born to heterosexual parents to adopt the homosexual lifestyle, which this guy thinks of as “predatory”.

I understand where he’s coming from, and the comparison (in his mind) is apt.

How does this comparison make any sense?
It’s not true that Calvinists don’t evangelize, nor that they don’t reproduce in the conventional way. Nor is it true that gay people go around trying to make heterosexuals gay. (At least, not in greater numbers than the heterosexuals who try to make gays turn heterosexual.) And many gay and lesbian people do reproduce biologically.
As to what’s “a perversion of God’s design,” well, I could say that about Hummers (the cars), but that doesn’t make Hummers gay.

Charles Spurgeon, the “prince of preachers”, was a calvinist. Did he not preach the gospel?

William Carey, the “father of modern missions”, was a calvinist. Did he not preach the gospel?

George Whitefield, another great evangelist – a calvinist

Jonathan Edwards, who gave the famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, was a calvinist

John Bunyan, author of Pilgrims Progress – a calvinist

John Newton, who penned the hymn “Amazing Grace” – a calvinist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is okay to disagree with calvinism and to debate, but it is dishonest to misrepresent it by claiming it kills evangelism. That is a flat out lie that is clearly not supported by history. Dwight Smith and John Goetsch both do this, and it just shows their ignorance at best – dishonesty at worst.

Darrell, what are you doing? Going for the flame war triple crown? Yesterday it was your highly inflamatory remarks about enjoying music. Today I wake up to see that you have moved on to CALVINISM?!? You, sir, are on a roll. I think we may have to give you a timeout. 😉

the theory cannot be proven because clearly the closeted homosexual faction within avowed calvinists implicated by this tweet (I use that word in both a literal and a figurative sense) have already come out about their belief that God is in fact, actually, God and were given a right cross by the likes of Mr. Smith for it, so don’t expect them to be quick to reveal their flaming gayness so he can use both fists. er, maybe that’s not the best imagery, but hey, I have heard this guy preach, its an apt anal ogy.

I don’t tell people I’m Baptist until I know them well enough that they know I’m not an intolerant so – and – so. Actually, the fact I’m Baptist comes up only when a discussion of beliefs or where you go to church comes up. (And if a where you go to church comes up, then people usually realize I’m Southern Baptist, because I go to a fairly well known Southern Baptist church here.)

Wow. I don’t know how you find this stuff. I am amazed that these people still exist and are still as hard headed and closed minded as ever.
Wait, I can do this too!
Fundamentalism is homosexual in nature because it is a MAN-centered theology and they claim to love their fellow MAN and Jack Schaap wrote something about communion that I can’t remember that made me once think he was gay.
Wow. This is fun. Actually, I would feel bad tweeting that because I wouldn’t want to offend homosexuals in that way.
I wish I could remember the reference of the verse, but this one reminds me of the verse in the BIble that says something about “Believing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”

Sims, that would be Romans 1:22. My Biology class has memorized that chapter of the Bible for the last two years running! And I would hate to offend the homosexuals by comparing them to Jack Schaap! But that is so hilarious, and two can play that game quite well.

It’s especially sad to me that he has “4Him” after his name as if this post is characteristic of the life Christ calls us to. “Lord, Lord, have I not insulted Calvinists in thy name? And in thy name tweeted many harsh tweets?”

(I didn’t remember who Roland Burris was at first. I Googled his name and found this:
“Burris has built a mausoleum for himself in Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side. His tombstone proclaims, “TRAIL BLAZER”, and includes a list of his accomplishments, with space left for future ones.”) 🙄

I think I get how he thinks Calvinists can’t reproduce because, like most anti-Calvinists, he assumes they don’t evangelize; and “perversion of God’s design” is just his harsh and presumptuous way of saying he disagrees with something, but how, even in his mind, does he find it “predatory”? Or is that just another way of repeating that he doesn’t like it?

The sad thing about this statement is just a complete lack of understanding history. Dispite your views on that theological system it is responsible for some of the most evangelistic movements in the history of the protistent church. Such a shame….

Pardon my english I am from sweden and follow this webpage with interesr. Although I really do dislike fundamentalism I atleast have to give Dwight Smith at least half right. I really do not se what people seem to find so attractive with Calvinism. If fundamentalism has a negative view on human nature Calvinism is even worse. According to Calvinism humans includin you and me are totally evil. There is nothing good about us at all. We all hate God. Because of this only those who God for some unknown reason choose to draw to him can get saved. The alternative to this according to Calvinism is not that all has a chance to get saved but that we all will burn in hell forever because we are totally depraved. Another rather disturbing view put forward by for examle John Piper is the idea of Gods total Soverenity. This means that everything that happends happends according to Gods Will. A comment by Piper after a natural disaster in US earlier this year was. God will take us all down its just aquestion of how and when. Even such an horrific event as the holocast must according to this view been Gods will. This is disgusting

Is the Holocaust (as evil and barbaric as it was) more evil than what took place by man leading up to and including the Crufixicion of Christ? We can continue this discussion in the forum rather than hijacking the blog out here, if you like.

Samuel, I don’t agree with Calvinism, either (I’m pretty much an Arminian), but I hope you can see how absurd it is for Dwight Smith to say that whatever he disagrees with is homosexual. You will find both gay and straight individuals in just about every theological camp.

I am totally with you. Fundamentalism perverse interests of sexual preference and their need to connect everyone who disagree with them is very sad and irritating. I am just a little suprised over how many people suddenly sees calvinism as the Truth with the big T which no one shoul question.

Hopefully, those of us who were heavily involved in the IFB will NEVER accept anything without questioning it!

I also think that a belief system that stresses the sovereignty, power, and ability of GOD is a welcome antidote to people who’ve spent years striving on their own to soul-win, gain sanctification, and please God. It’s exhausting, scary, and discouraging to live as if everything depended on you. I’ve heard evangelists from the pulpit say that it’s YOUR FAULT if someone goes to hell. It’s such a burden, when Jesus says that His yoke is easy.

It’s funny that while Calvinism has been called “man-centered” since it’s named for a man, it’s certainly nowhere near as man-centered as the typical IFB church that revolves around a powerful, dictatorial pastor who constantly stresses to his people what they have to do and achieve instead of letting the Spirit produce His fruit in them.

It’s not about something being ‘attractive’ or not. It’s about what we find to be true. What does the bible say? What theology/ philosophy best explains reality? I’m not a 5 pointer, but I do agree w/ the Total Depravity part that you are hammering on.

I agree. It is not attractiveness that decides whether something is true or not it is the evidence. When it comes to christianity, the scripture of course have the last say. And there are some verses that would support predestination for example but there are also other verses doing the opposite. I I find it fascinationg however that many people seems to believe that the less attractive something is the truer it is.

I understand what you mean. I did not mean to offend anyone and i can understand that the Calvinist theology can relieve us from the heavy yoke of trying to save oneself. I am myself not brought up in an extreme fundametalist environment, my parents are Swedish pentacostals so the stuff I read about here is my upbringing multipled with hundred or so. Its like looking at your own uprbringing with a microscope.

However, in the same way as a fundamentalist may all the time question there own salvation, wether they are good enough, wether their latest trespasses are really forgiven or not, how do you as a Calvinist know that you are one of the elect, and if I am not sure how would the angst over this be different than the ordinarie guiltridden life of an exsemifundamentalist christian like me 😉 . Anyway I do not want to offend anyone and I think I can understand why calvinism to a degree can be attractive, although the more extreme form seem to picture God as not a really nice person.

I am not much for tweeting, but this seems to be a great way for some arrogant fundies to infuriate and offend millions of people with only a few seconds. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean that something is gay, evil, predatory, or anything else – it means you don’t like that thing.

I made this my wife’s ringtone once. I might have failed to mention it to her. She heard it rather loudly in a store in front of other people. Since she was unaware of the tone change, she wondered why no one was answering. Until it she realized it was emanating from her purse. She was not as amused as I was.

I am always amazed at how many of the fundy rabbit trails lead back to homosexuality. They really believe that all the sins they struggle with are less offensive to God. Such arrogance and stupidity are always a deadly combination. FWIW, I went to elementary school and played on the same FBCHammond little league baseball team with Dwight–unfortunately he left the fire of FBCHammond and jumped into the frying pan at Ambassador. Makes me sick to read that junk.

So does that mean Dwight Smith is a Homersexual Evangelist because the nature of his alter calls is predatory, he perverts the natural and obvious truth of God into a lie by arguing against what is obvious to anyone viewing God’s creation (that he is the Sovereign Lord), and he can only reproduce his faith through coercion not by genuine rebirth since he doesn’t actually preach the gospel of grace, and makes converts who become twice the child of hell that he is?

Wow, Dwighty was digging deep for this one. No doubt he’s trying to impress some people out there. There’s a lot of raging insecurity in this post.
Dwight, you can still come out of the IFB. It just really sucks when you have an online history of such an ignorant, hate-driven past to answer for when you do. Please, stop embarrassing yourself.

Earned doctorates by the way and a Greek Master. He is what some called an “historic fundamentalist”. He believes in the true fundamentals of the Christian faith, not the egotistical rantings of uneducated screechers.

Believe it or not, It was reTweeted by an IFB Evangelist, Billy Ingram, whose website propagates the following statements:

“I have no problem with a Christian who calls himself a Calvinist. By this I mean that I hold no grudge against these folks, and I do not consider their theology outside the realm of fundamental orthodoxy.”

“…my arguments with certain Calvinist brethren are not so much about their system of doctrine…”

“This problem is not necessary because many good revivalists have been more or less Calvinistic, and many Calvinists have been evangelistic in both spirit and practice.”

“An accurate understanding of Calvinism would not stop anyone from being an aggressive winner of souls. As we have said, the false idea that God does not want to save everybody tends to cool evangelistic zeal, but there is nothing in Calvinism itself that says it is wrong to work hard at converting sinners.”

#oldpaths #Calvinism Amazing! In his page, “Carving out your ministry” @DwightSmith4Him recommends we read the Banner of Truth (!) bio of #Calvinist George Whitefield. He says: “While I would not adhere to all that these men believed, much good can be gained from reading after their lives.” Perhaps he can explain to us how we can gain “much good” from a man whose theological #Calvinism he likens to sodomite perversion? http://is.gd/rwlduN

Ok, I want to state right off the bat that I think what he just tweeted is horrible.

That said, I don’t think he’s saying Calvinism = homosexuality. I think he’s taking it for granted that those who read his tweets will realise, like him, that homosexuality is the worst sin in the world, and therefore everyone will be astounded that calvinism has so many (perceived) similarities. They will then be shocked that they ever considered calvinists to be reasonable, and take them outside the street and stone them.